A sixth coronavirus vaccine has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The independent medicines regulator is the first in the world to approve the jab, developed by Valneva.
Initially 100 million doses of the French firm’s jab were due to be delivered in the UK, but the Government cancelled the deal in September due to a “breach of obligations”.
The firm has a factory in Livingston near Edinburgh. The approval of the jab comes as the number of coronavirus-related deaths registered each week in England and Wales continues to rise.
However, levels are still well below those reached during previous waves of the virus. READ MORE: Boris Johnson 'faces THREE more Covid fines over Partygate scandal' According to the NHS Confederation, the very high rates of Covid-19 infections are having a “major impact” on the health service, which is facing pressures it would see in a “bad winter” well into spring.